I have no idea of the build totals for 06 will be. There's so many rumors floating around that it's almost impossible to get definitive answers from anyone. Seems to me the biggest holdup of the 06's is the problem with the 13 speaker Kicker stereo option being on restriction. Some think they will just have the base system, but that may very well be the 7 speaker Boston Acoustics that I have. Again, there's so many rumors on that issue. Whatever the reason, many are in BX status right now not D1 or D2. What status are you in?
Someone on another forum suggested trying GreenBrakes as well, but I think I'll just resign myself to the fact that wheel cleaning will be a part of having this car. When the ESP kicks in, it most likely adds a lot to the brake dust problem. They probably don't have pads for them yet anyway. I do find it very difficult to feather the brakes. It's seems it's all or nothing as they grab very well. Are the Viper brakes like that too?
I've also decided to go along with the F1's even though they have a reputation of having a short lifespan. They're very grippy and that's what I want in a tire. I won't be driving it in the winter either. They seem to be good in the rain, but then again I don't plan on driving it in that either.
According to Ralph Gilles who designed the car, it will really open up after 5-6K miles performance wise. There are some who think it's a software thing that will give it full power after that. I personally think it's tight tolerances and as things loosen up performance will increase. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the 0-60 times will be under 5 seconds. No one as far as I know has times so far, but I'm sure this info will come out soon enough as the tracks open up and more of these cars are around. At 4100 or so pounds, this car flies and I'm sure it's faster than your E430 now.
Unfortunately Jay Leno wasn't at the car show this weekend, but I've been promised by the person I'm in contact with in California will get me an answer sometime as she is into these shows a lot.
Is anybody home? Last post I have received is #167, dated April 12th. I hope the problem is everyone waiting for thier SRT8s took delivery, and are too busy driving, shining, and showing leaving no time for the forum.
"We had the pleasure of not only Frank's company today at the annual Kansas City Viper Club Dyno Day (very generously sponsored by Doug Levin Motorsports), but also got to see the Cruise Missle in action. My only mistake was in not getting a copy of Frank's dyno sheet to post it. I suspect I can remedy that pretty easily tomorrow (4/18). Nonetheless, here is the basic information that so many have been waiting for:
2005 300C SRT-8: 367.2 RWHP and 353.9 RWTQ
Assuming the typical parasitic loss of 20% for an automatic transmission on a rear wheel drive vehicle, this beauty is making (gulp) 459 horsepower and 442.4 ft lbs of torque at the flywheel! Congrats Frank!"
Looks like the HP rating of 425 was conservative. Just for the record this car was doing 0-60 in 3.9 seconds in testing, so fast that the ESP couldn't keep up with it so they detuned it.
And here is the dyno chart as promised. I especially liked the run where both the horsepower and torque were almost identical - only .22 apart! http://kansascityvca.com/srt8/srt8dchart.jpg
Wow, I just saw my first view of the the SRT8 on the road yesterday and bot does it look tough! I have seen many 300c's but the new SRT8 looks alot more aggressive in appearence.
C&D wrote up article about 4 door 300 Convertible. Looked very nice but noted frame / body strength is 1/3 less than sedan. Assuming Chrysler makes SRT8 convertible, what will extra power do to the convertible body? Maybe 2-door is better for this version?
I see the new 2006 models on the Chrysler website. But there is no "build and price" option for the 2006 SRT8. It was there a month ago. Could it be that they have already sold out their build capacity for '06?
Going on four months , STILL NO CAR !! Funny , seems like you guys with all the answers all work at the plant or for Chrysler !! How many REAL people out there own an SRT-8 ?? I needed a car , the SRT-8 was going to be a daliy driver. Didn't order it to store for 30 years , and I'm not going to wait FOREVER !! My build date has changed 7 TIMES , what is the story ?? I have NEVER heard so many excuses on why I don't have my new vehicle !! You can keep your EXCLUSIVE and LIMITED CRAP !! Picked up my 2006 Infiniti M45 Sport Tuesday.
Silverrush, you should have been a little more patient, afterall, the 2006 models just started production a month ago! Like rambit said, you have already lost 30% on the M45.
It's interesting that all of a sudden, because you are impatient and can't get a car that just started production, it becomes "Exclusive and Limited Crap".
I don't know about everyone else, but if I paid $50k+ for a vehicle I would hope to get better than this:
"...the M45 is noisy on the highway, its steering can feel a bit raw around town and its suspension is the only one that crashes over large road irregularities..." (Edmunds review).
Just note that my read of silverrush quote "You can keep your EXCLUSIVE and LIMITED CRAP !! " is that he is bad mouthing the frequent use of "exclusive" and "limited" to explain all the delays, excuses, changes,... he has been told, *not* that he is now saying that the car is crap.
For myself, I loved the SRT-8 package but never got in line due to combination of price and the difficulty I anticipated (and shown in some posts above) in getting such a hot limited production car. See my recent post on 300C forum for my full "saga". So I sympathize with silverrush in that I needed a car *now* as well and I pulled the trigger on the Infiniti G35 instead of the M45. However, I think any of you that get an 05 or 06 SRT-8 will be getting a very spectacular car - Good luck and enjoy!
I am also waiting for srt8.Ordered a 2005, which was changed to a 2006 on 2/18. I am paying MSRP, and I am in no hurry. My dealer says the end of May, or the beginning of June, seems to look good. If anyone checks out any dealers on-line inventory, they are listing 2006 models (no srt8s though) as being in stock. This tells me that the new models are being assembled. So, I wait!
(kudos to rambit, btw!) heres my 'deal': back in january i read about the srt8. i test drive the 300c awd. cool. go to internet, search local dealer, makes calls. luck upon luck, a dealer close by says---sure, we have one, black, loaded, no one bought it yet, do you want it? ummm, well, HELL YEAH! small depost down. get this, when i put the deposit down, the car was already in D status. 2006 model, come April 10 days ago, goes D1, then BINGO----its in my garage last night! while wating like most of you, i thought well, likely will take forever to get the srt8, and who knows if the dealer will keep his word.... test drove many cars, including, lexus, m45, caddy sts, etc, etc. just couldnt get my mind off the srt8---AND DAMN GOOD THING I DIDNT, PEOPLE! The car is truly all that, looks cool, power that is truly endless, apparently very good build quality, and the price, which yes, i just paid MSRP, was, all in all, fair and i got what i paid for! now i do know that frustration abounds here, and that i appear to have been quite fortunate, but if you can just relax, just know that the cars are truly being built and delivered. and by the way, my dealer was offered 5000 over msrp from multiple parties to sell the car out from under me. to their credit and honor, they did not. also, no bull, while i was taking delivery at the dealership, two separate guys tried to buy the car after just seeing it in front of the dealership. the car is hot. it looks hot. it drives torrid. it truly is smokin! (and yet still a big, comfortable sedan!) the tires and wheels are just too cool! on the other hand, right before i took delivery of the srt8, infiniti called me up after i test drive and rejected their almost 60K M45 to tell me to please come back that it work "be worth my while" (as in nice discount) soooo, supply and demand, folks.....the facts speak for themselves. dont blame the circumstances on hot demand and give chrysler some credit for designing and building such a great car at a fair price-----and lets hear it for the guys and gals up Canada way workin their tails off to bring us more us these totally awsome "beasts"! im one man from massachusets who is happy and proud with mine. (that being said, i do think you have to keep a close eye on the dealerships--mine was quite straight-up and kept thieir work, but you know the temptation is hugh to make some quick and large profit on this car---heck, i could turn around right now with only 22 miles on mine and get whatever the market would bear......nice!)
Thank you coronet68 !! If I didn't like the car I would not have ordered one !! The SRT-8 is great performance car value if you can get one. As for the LIMITED and EXCLUSIVE CRAP comment , come on guys , ITS' A CHRYSLER !! I see at least 5 new 300's on my way to work each day. Joe public is not going to know the difference between a base 300 and an SRT-8 !!! I liked the "sleeper" stealth aspect of that. My wife on the other hand had a REAL hard time buying into a $46k Chrysler ! I should be writing about my driving experience in the SRT-8 in this link by now , NO EXCUSES !! Chrysler dropped the ball and my salesman agreed with me. No problem getting my deposit back. Supply and demand is one thing , but customer satisfaction is #1 !! As I said before , I never considered a Chrysler product before this vehicle , after this experience , I will never consider one again !! BTW (remember that little diddy) just got the May 2005 Car and Driver in the mail. My new car fared pretty well with them.
perhaps, but this car is so uniquely cool because everyone CANT get their hands on one, and its "stealth" aspect is truely cool: understated looks, but distinctly different from every "normal" 300C---even my young kids noticed as soon as we pulled up to pick up the car! Ive had so many different cars, some overtly fancy, but best and most fun have been the understated "beasts" without any pretensions. This car is all that. Your disappointment is quite understandable---this car is not easy to buy. Thats just one reason I really love owning one! Test drive one lately? Of course you havent, cuz you CANT. Call it what you want, reason any way you wish, but its still the classic case of wanting something simply because it IS all that, and because it really is so darn hard to actually secure one! So goes the car biz----its not just Chrysler. Any manufacturer who has the 'hot' car of the day has the same issues. All those other cars are sitting in inventory for a reason---more cars than buyers. So simple. All that being said, we all just hope to find the car that makes us smile. Many good cars can do that. But this darn BEAST is just a load of fun! Sorry you couldnt feel the excitement and power of this American Beast---only then would you know what you missed.
But for the rest of your life, you'll always wonder if only you had a little more patience, you COULD be writing of your SRT8 experiences here! It's the same with anything you buy, if the demand is greater than the supply, this is what happens. Don't blame Chrysler for your lack of patience. Everyone of us that do own one put up with the same thing. With a little research you could have tracked your VIN and checked its progress. Your main problem was dealing with a dealer who probably didn't have allocation for one. That's your fault for not asking the right questions in the first place. Personally I don't think Chrysler will ever even notice they lost your business as there are many more willing to stand in line ahead of you. The 06's are starting to go out to the dealers now. Just wondering if you've checked what you could get for your new car today. Mine is worth more now than when I got it a little over a month ago. I think the SRT8 will always be a more highly sought after car than any M45 could ever hope to be. I had a post deleted here last week due to a reference I made as to the origin of your car and the food that the people eat who made it. All I was trying to say was that I support US & Canadian made goods whenever possible. I believe the quality is every bit as good as what you have, and for a lot less. If you only had some idea of the pride in workmanship that goes into every car Brampton turns out. I even know who had a hand in building my car as the ABS pump was signed at the factory. In closing, you mention C&D and your car fairing pretty well. Check out what most are saying about the SRT8 and what it is doing to bring back rear wheel drive North American muscle to all of us. :P
Congrats, notguilty......you are one lucky SOB!! I, too, have been working with a local dealer who put my name on a silver SRT8 at MSRP. Problem is, they really don't have a clue when they will get any! Your message got me to calling around to smaller, out-of-the-way dealers who might get one and not have the market for it. In the meantime, my dealer is being very up front and honest with the price and timeline. He won't take a down payment...only a handshake. He also knows that if I don't buy it...there are dozens out there that will snatch it up in a heart-beat. As soon as a VIN is pulled, he promised to call and let me know. I'm expecting at least a 9 to 12 month wait; praying for less.
Thanks for the optimistic message. There is still hope!!
Just received delivery of my silver 2006 SRT8 today with not paying a penny over sticker. I have been checking with the GM every other week and there was never any movement from D status and we weren't expecting mine to come in until the end of May the earliest. Just got a call this weekend and now its sitting in my driveway. I absolutely love the car and only thing I miss about my 2005 300C is the midnight blue color. As much as I love the style of the wheels, I am disappointed in the somewhat dull finish on them. The chrome wheels on the 300C really stood out and although these wheels do stand out, I would love to find extremely similar wheels except with a chrome finish to really make it shine. The only wheels I could find that would match up were on Bigwheels.net and they are made by Zinik. They are 20" Zinik Z17 Caroza wheels and the size is 20 X 8.5. The SRT 8 wheels are 20 X 9.0. Will that make a difference??? I'm also not sure of the bolt pattern and offset of the SRT wheels so I'm hesitant to make an expensive purchase like this unless its a super fit. I'm also wandering if I should look into just getting these original wheels chrome plated or if that will not look good after a short time and chip easily. Any suggestions for what I should do and (or) where I can get a perfect fit for similar wheels (but chrome) will be greatly appreciated. Many people are telling me I should just leave the wheels alone and go with whats on them. I'M SO CONFUSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats coach85 on the SRT8! You're gonna love it. Someone on another site had their wheels chromed and I must admit they were stunning from the pictures he provided. Apparently the person who bought the SRT8 had them done through his dealer before picking it up. My ONLY complaint with the wheels is the very large amount of brake dust that the Brembo's put out. It really won't matter what kind of wheels you use because they will all require a lot of cleaning. Enjoy the car.
Unreal how fast the wheels get dirty. I just ordered special wheels for the car and they will be shipped next week. I really preferred to have the original wheels sent out to be chromed but it takes way too long for the process to complete and be without the car. The new wheels I picked out are extremely similar to the stock wheels so I'm hoping it won't look much different other then being alot more shinier. If you have any info on who that person was that got the wheels chromed and where he had it done, please forward me the info.
You mentioned that with a little research you can track a VIN and check progress, I would love to do so with my "promised" new SRT8 which has been assigned a VIN but I don't know how, are you willing to share ? Thanks
I’m very interested in getting a 300C SRT8 and I just have a few questions. How is the refinement and quietness of the srt8? Is it smooth and silent at idle? Is it as easy to drive around town as an Avalon? One other thing: Chrysler lists a DVD entertainment system as an option on the 300. Does anyone have anyone have any experience with this? And if so can you supply some details. Thanks.
I ordered my silver SRT-8 on Feb.17th. Unfortunately I just missed the ability to wave the $2100 gas guzzler tax. Im anticipating the arrival sometime in June. Im not in any rush since I'll be getting married on June25th. I just found out from my salesman that we can now pick the Silver Steel color AND the rear video DVD system. I've decided to do both. As for the Kicker system w/10"sub?? I'm hoping by June they'll have their mind made up whether they are really doing it. Good luck and patience IS a virtue!!!!!
Can someone pleae recommend a fantastic chrome plating dealer on the East Coast to get my wheels done. I'm looking for a place who does excellent work, regardless of the cost.
I could not resist replying , I HAVE BEEN TRACKING THE CAR AND IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN BUILT !!! Live in DETROIT , my buddy works in Auburn Hills at CTC , CAR HAS BEEN DELAYED OVER AND OVER AND OVER !! I have had TWO VINS ('05 and '06) so far. I CAN STILL BUY THE CAR I ORDERED IF IT EVER GETS BUILT !!! YOU WORK AT THE PLANT , WHAT IS THE REAL STORY ???!! Remember I ordered this car because I wanted one to drive EVERYDAY ! Not to resell and make a buck !! I give up , I'm not going to convince anyone on this forum why I picked my new car over this car. I know I'm not alone in my frustration . Chrysler has done this before , my in-laws tried to buy a PT Cruiser years ago when they where the HOT item , just to experience the same frustration I have felt. They never got it and they don't miss it !! Like I said , Customer satisfaction is #1
raves about the SRT-8 in their June issue. Their only "complaint" was the ride was kinda brittle, but it doesn't bother/flex the body and the price to pay for the performance they were estatic about. It is one of their two dream "driver" cars - the other is the Lotus.
Most likely shortages and dealer markups will be on this baby for a long time. And if I had smooth mountain or winding roads to drive on, this would be one I'd consider.
My first entry in the forum, I ordered my silver bullet on March 5th, Paying MSRP, the dealer was upfront and said it would be a 2006 and it would likely come in in June, Don't have a VIN yet but the order before mine does, Ordered every option except the DVD, the kicker wasn't avail at that point. Can't wait. I will tint the windows and maybe get the smoked tail lights. Driving a 2006 A6 (lease) now, great car twin turbo, goes like hell but doesn't have that off the line punch I want. Ordered Silver because you are a slave to black, though it looks great. The one thing I am puzzled about is the grill on the black car is it silver paint? To the lucky guy who got his car, tell us? Would like to here more about the ride and drive from other lucky owners.
The 2006 A6 won't even be released until the Fall. And the current one DOES NOT have a twin turbo engine; not even as an option. Did you mean a 2004 A6 2.7T?
well i should be getting my srt-8 black this week ( first canadian one for 06 ) fully stocked including 13 speaker kicker system.. I cant wait ..The price was simply too god to pass up and the kids can watch dvd's while the 6.1 purrssss.Hey, does anybody know im looking for 22 rims and rubber for this baby ( and i dont care about the ride quality--cause its all about rolling up or out )..Well gentlemen i hope ypu guys get yours soon --cause its a smokin ride-- 5.7 is good but 6.1 is stoken
I was checking on any early signs of problems with the SRT 8 and discovered some weld issues with seat belt anchors, possible bolt tightening issue with the shoulder harness, and, most disturbing: possibility of improperly tightened battery cable fasteners at the bulkhead which may cause instrument panel fires! :-(
I'm still waiting for my SRT 8. Would some of you lucky guys that already have taken delivery of your new SRT 8 maybe post any early issues or quirks with the car that may be of interest to those of us still waiting? It sure would be helpful to know some of the minor (or major, for that matter) problems prior to taking delivery.
Sorry friend, I am coming out of a 2002 A6, Looked at the 05 A6, very nice car, superb interior but I expected more from the V8 and the V6 didn't do it for me. The price on the V6 A6 is about the same as the SRT8 I ordered. The choice is easy for me. Can't wait. I hope to hear more from others who have received thier car
Congrats! When did you place your order? It looks like the 22s will fill the wheel well nicely but oh that ride. I drove (beat) an 04 CTS-V before ordering the SRT8. The car flew and I loved the thrust. It felt was as quick as the Viper a drove off the line. The downside is the ride was very poor. It rode like an 80s trans am or camaro. You could feel every pebble in the road, mostly in the rear. I would not want to drive it every day. I didn't get to drive the SRT8 but was willing to risk it after driving both the Hemi and AWD version. I expect the SRT8 to ride like my A6 which has the sport suspension pack. Here's hoping...keep us posted once you get yours.
The recalls listed for the SRT8 are really for the "regular" (non-SRT) 300's. The recalls are all dated July 2004. The very first SRT's did not get built until just a couple months ago. I am certain that whatever build issues existed back in July 2004 (almost a year ago) have subsequently been corrected.
I did notice the descrepancy and should have included it in my message. I still found it interesting that it was listed under SRT 8 and not just the 300 even at this late date.
The downside is the ride was very poor. It rode like an 80s trans am or camaro. You could feel every pebble in the road, mostly in the rear. I would not want to drive it every day.
I haven't driven in an M3 but I have driven the M5 and it rides great. Very solid and controllable. The ride was firm but no harsh bumps or thuds. Very similar thrust to the CTSV. I expect better ride from a sports sedan than a coupe. I hope the SRT8 is close to my A6 or the M5 in ride.
On November 15, 2004, I went to the Chrysler - Dodge - Jeep dealership that my wife and I had done business with before, to order our Chrysler 300C SRT-8. We knew that this dealer would be allocated at least one 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8. I gave them a check for $500.00 and they started a list of customers who would be interested in ordering this model.
The salesman called me in the middle of December to confirm the options and exterior color we wanted. On December 22nd he called again to tell us that the car had been ordered. He kept us informed about the status of our car as the status changed. Our car was built on March 7, 2005 and we took delivery of the car on March 31, 2005.
Our salesman asked if he could have a ride in the car after the break-in period. I told him yes and on April 22 I brought the car back to the dealership and told him to take it for a ride. He and another salesman took the car out for about half an hour. When they came back they both had smiles ear to ear and they couldn't believe the power it had over the 340 HP Hemi C they had driven from time to time.
My wife and I brought our SRT-8 to the drag strip on April 23rd 2005, with 2250 miles on it. We've been racing cars at a couple of drag strips since 1965. The track conditions were not good. This was a test day for street cars and they didn't put down any compound. Our worst 60' time was 2.553.
We both ran 13.60's and 13.70's that day. The best I ran was 13.607 @ 104.73 mph, and the best my wife ran was 13.604 @ 106.54 mph. We've raced many cars over the past 40 years but to race a 4 door sedan bone stock on the factory tires was lots of fun! We ran better times that day (lower ET's and higher MPH's), than a 2002 Corvette convertible, a 2004 GTO automatic and a 2005 GTO 4 speed. The GTO drivers both complemented my wife on her win over their cars. They were really impressed.
I swear Chrysler has the SRT-8s programmed to come off the line with less power to save on the drive line. Even then the traction control works hard to keep the tires from spinning.
On May 2, 2005, with 2760 miles on the odometer, I brought the car over to Hi Tech Motor Sport for a dyno run. The best of two pulls produced 357.4 RW HP and 360.2 RW TQ and the air fuel ratio was 12.5. The technician and one of the owners of Hi Tech Motor Sports were both very impressed with the power the SRT-8 was producing and both predicted an improvement over that pull once the car had a few more thousand miles on it.
The car does feel stronger with each additional thousand miles on it. We have since purchased drag radials and new rims for the car. We plan on going to another race track on May 14, 2005. We will post the results.
For those of you who are thinking about cancelling your orders because you are tired of waiting for your car, my advice to you is, ITS WORTH THE WAIT. We have never owned a car that gets more attention on the street or the track than the SRT-8 gets.
It is great to hear you are enjoying your car. It is super your wife shares your passion. Are you happy with the fit and finish inside and out? How does the exhaust sound? Best of luck with it!
hey guys just they just finished my srt-8 with the kicker system in it. Id say to all of those who are undecided --its worth the wait--way better than the base sysyem with no centre channel and subwoffer--.Wow the car was worth the wait. Its so awesome to have a 6.1under your foot ( ha ha ).So id say its so worth the wait ( just to be different than everybody else out there ).Also, has anybody else ordered the cold air kit from mopar or k&n for it?. Oh, just to let you know my car was the first one to be built with the 13 speaker kicker system ( canadian of course ). Well srt-8 guys have fun and be patient.
Just ordered mine in the new Silver Steel Metallic option, tired of plain silver! What about the kicker speakers? don't know the brand and wasn't sure I should order it?
Hello fellow srt8 member. I just want to say do the kicker system--its well woth the wait and money--it beats having no centre channel speaker and rear sub in the back. the silver steel looks good but the black looks deadly.i ordered mine in april and have it this week and boy is she sweet. Theres a new kid on the block and shes called 6.1. Well srt guys take care and happy motoring.
I agree black would look sharpest, but I know me and I know I will not be polishing it daily... it looks terrible if it isn't sparkling clean... Anyway the awesome news that I'd like to share with everyone is that I am with the military in Germany and I will be truly exploiting this car's potential on the autobahn... any SRT-8 owners that will be visiting Germany after August should email me for a spin in the True Land of the Free.. Will keep you posted, I hope the military car sales dealership will get their order filled without delays
Comments
Someone on another forum suggested trying GreenBrakes as well, but I think I'll just resign myself to the fact that wheel cleaning will be a part of having this car. When the ESP kicks in, it most likely adds a lot to the brake dust problem. They probably don't have pads for them yet anyway. I do find it very difficult to feather the brakes. It's seems it's all or nothing as they grab very well. Are the Viper brakes like that too?
I've also decided to go along with the F1's even though they have a reputation of having a short lifespan. They're very grippy and that's what I want in a tire. I won't be driving it in the winter either. They seem to be good in the rain, but then again I don't plan on driving it in that either.
According to Ralph Gilles who designed the car, it will really open up after 5-6K miles performance wise. There are some who think it's a software thing that will give it full power after that. I personally think it's tight tolerances and as things loosen up performance will increase. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the 0-60 times will be under 5 seconds. No one as far as I know has times so far, but I'm sure this info will come out soon enough as the tracks open up and more of these cars are around. At 4100 or so pounds, this car flies and I'm sure it's faster than your E430 now.
Unfortunately Jay Leno wasn't at the car show this weekend, but I've been promised by the person I'm in contact with in California will get me an answer sometime as she is into these shows a lot.
BJS
"We had the pleasure of not only Frank's company today at the annual Kansas City Viper Club Dyno Day (very generously sponsored by Doug Levin Motorsports), but also got to see the Cruise Missle in action. My only mistake was in not getting a copy of Frank's dyno sheet to post it. I suspect I can remedy that pretty easily tomorrow (4/18). Nonetheless, here is the basic information that so many have been waiting for:
2005 300C SRT-8: 367.2 RWHP and 353.9 RWTQ
Assuming the typical parasitic loss of 20% for an automatic transmission on a rear wheel drive vehicle, this beauty is making (gulp) 459 horsepower and 442.4 ft lbs of torque at the flywheel! Congrats Frank!"
Looks like the HP rating of 425 was conservative. Just for the record this car was doing 0-60 in 3.9 seconds in testing, so fast that the ESP couldn't keep up with it so they detuned it.
BJS
http://kansascityvca.com/srt8/srt8dchart.jpg
BJS
Assuming Chrysler makes SRT8 convertible, what will extra power do to the convertible body?
Maybe 2-door is better for this version?
It's interesting that all of a sudden, because you are impatient and can't get a car that just started production, it becomes "Exclusive and Limited Crap".
I don't know about everyone else, but if I paid $50k+ for a vehicle I would hope to get better than this:
"...the M45 is noisy on the highway, its steering can feel a bit raw around town and its suspension is the only one that crashes over large road irregularities..." (Edmunds review).
For myself, I loved the SRT-8 package but never got in line due to combination of price and the difficulty I anticipated (and shown in some posts above) in getting such a hot limited production car. See my recent post on 300C forum for my full "saga". So I sympathize with silverrush in that I needed a car *now* as well and I pulled the trigger on the Infiniti G35 instead of the M45. However, I think any of you that get an 05 or 06 SRT-8 will be getting a very spectacular car - Good luck and enjoy!
I am paying MSRP, and I am in no hurry. My dealer says the end of May, or the beginning of June, seems to look good. If anyone checks out any dealers on-line inventory, they are listing 2006 models (no srt8s though) as being in stock. This tells me that the new models are being assembled. So, I wait!
(kudos to rambit, btw!) heres my 'deal': back in january i read about the srt8. i test drive the 300c awd. cool. go to internet, search local dealer, makes calls. luck upon luck, a dealer close by says---sure, we have one, black, loaded, no one bought it yet, do you want it? ummm, well, HELL YEAH! small depost down. get this, when i put the deposit down, the car was already in D status. 2006 model, come April 10 days ago, goes D1, then BINGO----its in my garage last night! while wating like most of you, i thought well, likely will take forever to get the srt8, and who knows if the dealer will keep his word....
test drove many cars, including, lexus, m45, caddy sts, etc, etc. just couldnt get my mind off the srt8---AND DAMN GOOD THING I DIDNT, PEOPLE! The car is truly all that, looks cool, power that is truly endless, apparently very good build quality, and the price, which yes, i just paid MSRP, was, all in all, fair and i got what i paid for! now i do know that frustration abounds here, and that i appear to have been quite fortunate, but if you can just relax, just know that the cars are truly being built and delivered. and by the way, my dealer was offered 5000 over msrp from multiple parties to sell the car out from under me.
to their credit and honor, they did not. also, no bull, while i was taking delivery at the dealership, two separate guys tried to buy the car after just seeing it in front of the dealership.
the car is hot. it looks hot. it drives torrid. it truly is smokin! (and yet still a big, comfortable sedan!) the tires and wheels are just too cool!
on the other hand, right before i took delivery of the srt8, infiniti called me up after i test drive and rejected their almost 60K M45 to tell me to please come back that it work "be worth my while" (as in nice discount) soooo, supply and demand, folks.....the facts speak for themselves. dont blame the circumstances on hot demand and give chrysler some credit for designing and building such a great car at a fair price-----and lets hear it for the guys and gals up Canada way workin their tails off to bring us more us these totally awsome "beasts"! im one man from massachusets who is happy and proud with mine.
(that being said, i do think you have to keep a close eye on the dealerships--mine was quite straight-up and kept thieir work, but you know the temptation is hugh to make some quick and large profit on this car---heck, i could turn around right now with only 22 miles on mine and get whatever the market would bear......nice!)
Ive had so many different cars, some overtly fancy, but best and most fun have been the understated "beasts" without any pretensions. This car is all that.
Your disappointment is quite understandable---this car is not easy to buy. Thats just one reason I really love owning one! Test drive one lately? Of course you havent, cuz you CANT. Call it what you want, reason any way you wish, but its still the classic case of wanting something simply because it IS all that, and because it really is so darn hard to actually secure one! So goes the car biz----its not just Chrysler. Any manufacturer who has the 'hot' car of the day has the same issues. All those other cars are sitting in inventory for a reason---more cars than buyers. So simple. All that being said, we all just hope to find the car that makes us smile. Many good cars can do that. But this darn
BEAST is just a load of fun! Sorry you couldnt feel the excitement and power of this American Beast---only then would you know what you missed.
BJS
Thanks for the optimistic message. There is still hope!!
What was the FIX, why or how does water get into the trans.
The only wheels I could find that would match up were on Bigwheels.net and they are made by Zinik. They are 20" Zinik Z17 Caroza wheels and the size is 20 X 8.5. The SRT 8 wheels are 20 X 9.0. Will that make a difference??? I'm also not sure of the bolt pattern and offset of the SRT wheels so I'm hesitant to make an expensive purchase like this unless its a super fit. I'm also wandering if I should look into just getting these original wheels chrome plated or if that will not look good after a short time and chip easily. Any suggestions for what I should do and (or) where I can get a perfect fit for similar wheels (but chrome) will be greatly appreciated.
Many people are telling me I should just leave the wheels alone and go with whats on them. I'M SO CONFUSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
COACH IN VIRGINIA
BJS
If you have any info on who that person was that got the wheels chromed and where he had it done, please forward me the info.
Thanks,
Coach
You're kidding me right? You're comparing a performance vehicle with performance suspension to a entry level-luxury Toyota?
SRT-8 may be smooth but it's not meant to be quiet ;-)
I ordered my silver SRT-8 on Feb.17th. Unfortunately I just missed the ability to wave the $2100 gas guzzler tax. Im anticipating the arrival sometime in June. Im not in any rush since I'll be getting married on June25th. I just found out from my salesman that we can now pick the Silver Steel color AND the rear video DVD system. I've decided to do both. As for the Kicker system w/10"sub?? I'm hoping by June they'll have their mind made up whether they are really doing it.
Good luck and patience IS a virtue!!!!!
JC
is your car show or go?
Thanks
Coach
It is one of their two dream "driver" cars - the other is the Lotus.
Most likely shortages and dealer markups will be on this baby for a long time. And if I had smooth mountain or winding roads to drive on, this would be one I'd consider.
I was checking on any early signs of problems with the SRT 8 and discovered some weld issues with seat belt anchors, possible bolt tightening issue with the shoulder harness, and, most disturbing: possibility of improperly tightened battery cable fasteners at the bulkhead which may cause instrument panel fires! :-(
Please refer to:
http://www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/67-int/2005/chrysler/300/srt8/
I'm still waiting for my SRT 8. Would some of you lucky guys that already have taken delivery of your new SRT 8 maybe post any early issues or quirks with the car that may be of interest to those of us still waiting? It sure would be helpful to know some of the minor (or major, for that matter) problems prior to taking delivery.
Thanks!
Spokes
Nice link, though.
Thanks,
RR
I did notice the descrepancy and should have included it in my message. I still found it interesting that it was listed under SRT 8 and not just the 300 even at this late date.
Spokes
How do you think an M3 feels?
The salesman called me in the middle of December to confirm the options and exterior color we wanted. On December 22nd he called again to tell us that the car had been ordered. He kept us informed about the status of our car as the status changed. Our car was built on March 7, 2005 and we took delivery of the car on March 31, 2005.
Our salesman asked if he could have a ride in the car after the break-in period. I told him yes and on April 22 I brought the car back to the dealership and told him to take it for a ride. He and another salesman took the car out for about half an hour. When they came back they both had smiles ear to ear and they couldn't believe the power it had over the 340 HP Hemi C they had driven from time to time.
My wife and I brought our SRT-8 to the drag strip on April 23rd 2005, with 2250 miles on it. We've been racing cars at a couple of drag strips since 1965. The track conditions were not good. This was a test day for street cars and they didn't put down any compound. Our worst 60' time was 2.553.
We both ran 13.60's and 13.70's that day. The best I ran was 13.607 @ 104.73 mph, and the best my wife ran was 13.604 @ 106.54 mph. We've raced many cars over the past 40 years but to race a 4 door sedan bone stock on the factory tires was lots of fun! We ran better times that day (lower ET's and higher MPH's), than a 2002 Corvette convertible, a 2004 GTO automatic and a 2005 GTO 4 speed. The GTO drivers both complemented my wife on her win over their cars. They were really impressed.
I swear Chrysler has the SRT-8s programmed to come off the line with less power to save on the drive line. Even then the traction control works hard to keep the tires from spinning.
On May 2, 2005, with 2760 miles on the odometer, I brought the car over to Hi Tech Motor Sport for a dyno run. The best of two pulls produced 357.4 RW HP and 360.2 RW TQ and the air fuel ratio was 12.5. The technician and one of the owners of Hi Tech Motor Sports were both very impressed with the power the SRT-8 was producing and both predicted an improvement over that pull once the car had a few more thousand miles on it.
The car does feel stronger with each additional thousand miles on it. We have since purchased drag radials and new rims for the car. We plan on going to another race track on May 14, 2005. We will post the results.
For those of you who are thinking about cancelling your orders because you are tired of waiting for your car, my advice to you is, ITS WORTH THE WAIT. We have never owned a car that gets more attention on the street or the track than the SRT-8 gets.
With slalom numbers like this, I think a firm ride can be tolerated!!
600 ft slalom:
GTO 63.6 mph
CTS-V 66.8 mph
SRT-8 67.3 mph
The fit and finish of our car is better than any car we have ever owned.
The 300C SRT-8 has factory exhaust headers and they sound great!
Highs: Performance shames that of most sports cars, $42,095 base price, machine-gun exhaust note, Porsche-grade stopping distances, room for five.
Lows: Acres of gray plastic inside, choppy bad-road ride, spongy brake-pedal feel,
The Verdict: AMG-like performance, Mercedes-like refinement at a Chrysler price.
Gotta love it!
What about the kicker speakers? don't know the brand and wasn't sure I should order it?
Anyway the awesome news that I'd like to share with everyone is that I am with the military in Germany and I will be truly exploiting this car's potential on the autobahn... any SRT-8 owners that will be visiting Germany after August should email me for a spin in the True Land of the Free.. Will keep you posted, I hope the military car sales dealership will get their order filled without delays